


hopeless cases

by dames_for_jamesbarnes



Series: pieces of love [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Party, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24687826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dames_for_jamesbarnes/pseuds/dames_for_jamesbarnes
Summary: “you know, when someone storms out of a room, slams the door behind them, that’s usually a clue for anyone else to avoid following them,” tony says.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: pieces of love [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784896
Comments: 2
Kudos: 86





	hopeless cases

“you know, when someone storms out of a room, slams the door behind them, that’s usually a clue for anyone else to avoid following them,” tony says. his eyes scan the horizon, watch the televisions, the lamps behind windows twinkle. even as he looks out, some of the lights go out. others turn on. what conversations are held behind glass barriers, he’ll never know.

what’d he give to be out of this one – home instead, in bed, some nyquil to make his brain a little fuzzy, and the sweet embrace of sleep carrying him into the clouds. because he knows where this story ends.

“i’m not exactly the life of the party,” barnes says with a look, the kind that tony can feel from the tips of his toes to the hair on his head. he knows those blue eyes are looking over every inch, trailing over the bottle of water in his hand, softening over the tension in his shoulders.

after all, this is a routine. someone (steve or tony) says something he regrets. someone (tony or steve) leaves. someone (barnes) is left to pick up the pieces, trying to bring them back together. the vicious cycle. it gets better some days. some days they can even laugh together, smile maybe.

unfortunately, those days don’t include today. even though tony finds himself more and more willing to follow this guy’s lead. _tired of fighting_ , he tells rhodey. _tired of winning_ , he tells natasha. but the only thing he’s tired of is trying.

there’s something in the air. 

“c’mon, barnes,” tony scoffs, as he feels the other press up against him. arm to arm. “it’s your birthday.”

“and yet no one’s callin’ after me to stay.”

tony laughs at that. sharp, cold.

“no, but there’s probably a text. my phone’s been silent since i… what was it that steve and barton said? ‘made it all about me’?”

barnes huffs, shaking his head. tony knows, because they move ever closer, a strand of that long hair brushing against tony’s shoulder. “not even for my birthday. i asked one fucking thing from steve, from all of you, just to play nice. can’t even do that for a veteran struggling to remember how old he is, huh?”

“we’re hopeless cases, bucky, didn’t you realize?” tony hums, and when he turns to look at the other, to let his gaze linger on a strong jaw looking out, he instead sees fierce blue eyes tearing apart his soul, looking through him instead of at him.

there’s a silence that’s harder to cut than diamonds. eyes flickering over skin, over the way that barnes’ scruff tapers off, over tony’s temple, where the white is bleeding in steady. they’re caught in each other’s web, and neither are sure if they can break free.

it’s a car crash, their lips. reckless and sudden and with no damn good reason, but they’re huffing each other like paint fumes and the high is too good to let go. tony’s fingers curl in the guy’s shirt, and he feels nails scrape above the line of his belt.

when they break to breathe, the spell is fading, but something’s changed. maybe it’s the way that the soldier’s hair falls, fucking bangs of all things falling in his face. maybe it’s the way that tony’s lips look, red bitten and open so he can breathe.

“what was that for?” he pants.

“you called me bucky,” barnes whispers.

this isn’t part of the routine. this is breaking all kinds of unsaid bylaws, because tony doesn’t fit in the equation that the ex-army boys are a part of. tony says the wrong thing and looks the wrong way and builds the wrong device to save the world.

“say it again,” tony hears, and when he does it’s against bucky’s neck. both arms are around him now.

tony doesn’t let go.

he can’t.

he won’t.


End file.
